Month: June 2011

The obvious has happened, U.S. and Mexico will meet in the final of the 2011 Gold Cup tonight at 7:00pm local time in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Americans will have everything against them going into tonight's match.

On paper Mexico is far a better team, especially during the duration of this tournament. Mexico has scored 18 gols and only allowed 2, while the United States has scored 7 gols in the entire tournament and allowed 2 as well.

Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez alone has 7 gols for the Mexican side in this tournament.

If that isn't enough going against the U.S., oh yeah there will be over 75,000 rabid fans cheering…against them. No doubt that Mexico will have the crowd in their favor. After all, the game is being held in southern California.

So with all this being said, what can the Americans do to pull this thing out and earn a trip to the Confederation's Cup in Brazil in 2013???

They need to be smart.

The U.S. side needs to be organized on the pitch for 90 minutes. This has to start with the defensive line. Mexico is surely going to come out attacking and trying to establish themselves as the dominating team in the contest.

The U.S. needs to hold down the fort. The longer they do this the more Mexico will get frustrated and begin to feel the pressure. This is when the Americans will need to get things done offensively on counterattacks.

This is the only way I feel that the U.S. can win, so don't expect an even game. Mexico will maintain a majority of the possession of the soccer ball for most of the game and it will be up to the U.S. to put the ball in the back of the net in the one or two or three opportunities that they will have to do so.

In the end I think the Mexicans have to much of a team in all aspects over the U.S. and win by a score of 3-1.

To no ones surprise the U.S. and Mexico have made the semi-final of the 2011 Gold Cup. One thing that few people could have guessed is the Mexico would look so good en-route and the U.S. so poor. Regardless, both are favored against their respective opponents tonight in Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.

The U.S. will face Panama, while the Mexican side will go against Honduras. This without a doubt is the hottest ticket in soccer in North America in more than two years. When else can you see the U.S. and Mexico in the same building in a doubleheader???

The United States is a team that is gaining momentum after a very dismal start to the Gold Cup, perhaps peaking at the right time. Bob Bradley's squad is working well and is starting to finally get in the groove. They took care of Jamaica in a convincing manner defeating them 2-0 in the quarterfinals on Sunday afternoon.

There is one little stat that is going against the Americans. No team has ever defeated an opponent when playing them for the second time within the same Gold Cup. Panama defeated the U.S. in the second game of the first round by a score of 2-0. Can the Americans break this trend? I definitely believe so. Especially since Panama will be without their star forward Blas Perez after picking up a red card in Panama's quarterfinal match.

In the second half of the doubleheader Mexico looks to take care of business against an Honduras squad that is without a doubt the 3rd best team in the tournament. The last ten times that these two teams have met the Mexicans hold a slim lead in the series at 5-4-1 (W-L-T).

These are two teams that pretty much dominate on their home turf, and even though the game is going to be played on a "neutral" site in Houston make no doubt about it will be a pro Mexico crowd…by a landslide.

Mexico, who has been head and shoulder above all the other teams in the cup look to continue their dominating ways against Honduras. Mexico needs to maintain ball possession and be patient in their quest for gols as they will be facing the toughest defensive line and most overall solid team in the tournament thus far.

As you can see Panama and Honduras will have their hands full tonight against the logical favorites to win the 2011 Gold Cup. As if their opponents weren't enough, the refs will without a doubt lean in favor of the U.S. and Mexico.

CONCACAF and SUM (Soccer United Marketing) will apply their pressure for the calls to go in favor of the Americans and Mexicans. After all, anything other than a Mexico-United States final in the Rose Bowl this coming Saturday is unacceptable, both from a fan's point of view and a economic one.

Apparently the rules do not matter in CONCACAF, the North, Central American, and Caribbean soccer's governing body. Earlier this week Mexico was allowed to replace the 5 players that were removed from the team for testing positive for the banned substance, clembutorol. The players were removed one day after the first game of the 2011 Gold Cup.

Yesterday 3 of the 5 players that have now been added to the Mexican roster arrived in Houston where "El Tri" will face Honduras in the semi-finals of the Gold Cup (8:00 pm local time) on Wednesday night. All three of the players are defenders: Hector Reynoso, Paul Aguilar, and Hiram Mier. The other two players Marco Fabian (Forward) and Luis Ernesto Michel (Goalkeeper) are still with the under 22 squad continuing their preparation for the Copa America next month, but can be called to join the team if needed.

The addition of these players appears to be a clear violation of the rules as it is understood that players can only be added in case a player is injured and only in the early phases of the tournament with CONCACAF's approval. Honduras has appealed the decision, but it is doubtful that a ruling will result in their favor.

This is another clear indication that financial success is more important than competitive equality to CONCACAF and SUM (Soccer United Marketing, which is the marketing firm that organizes the Gold Cup).

Mexico defeated Guatemala by a score of 2-1 on Saturday night in the New Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey to advance into the semi-finals of the 2011 Gold Cup. Mexico will face Honduras on Wednesday night for a chance to play in the championship match on Saturday in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

Mexico had to battle from behind to get the victory after they found themselves trailing 1-0 after only 5 minutes of play.

Mexico settled to dominate the remainder of the game and comeback for the win

Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez scored the winning gol in the 66th minute of the game in stylish fashion. He kicked the ball into the back of the net with his right heel off of a center from Pablo Barrera.

Now it is up for the Americans to defeat Jamaica on Sunday to keep the chances alive for the much anticipated final match on Saturday night in Pasedena between Mexico and the United States.

As the quarterfinals begin today for the 2011 Gold Cup Mexico is without a doubt head and shoulders above the other teams that have advanced to the knockout stage of the competition. Mexico will face Guatemala today at 6:00 pm local time, looking to advance to the semi-finals of CONCACAF's most important tournament.

Mexico won all of its matches (3) in the opening round scoring a total of 14 gols while only allowing one gol. Numbers aside Mexico has shown the most thorough and consistent play on the pitch. Yes their rivals may have not been the best, but Mexico took care of each and every one of them in convincing fashion, the way it should be for one of the favorites to win the competition.

Of course anything is possible in a sporting competition and Guatemala can shock the soccer world tonight by defeating Mexico. Probable??? No not at all.

Today, I look for Mexico to continue their form by putting on another 90 minutes of solid play and continue to fine tune their style toward what should be a final against the United States next Saturday in the Rose Bowl.

I don't think that the suspension of the 5 soccer players that were removed from the Mexico National Soccer Team for testing positive for the banned substance, clenbuterol will be a distraction at all whatsoever and we will see Mexico in the semi-finals against the winner of the Honduras-Costa Rica semi-final game that will take place 2 hours earlier.

The United States defeated Canada by a score of 2-0 on Tuesday night in their opening game for the Gold Cup at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Jozy Altidore (17th minute) and Clint Dempsey (62nd minute) score the gols for the United States.

The Americans demonstrated that they are still a working progress to hopefully hit the final two rounds of the the competition at their peak. The Americans did not get scored on in this game which has to be a boost of confidence for a defensive line that had 4 gols scored on them just 3 days before by World Cup Defending Champion Spain.

The most valuable player of the game without a doubt had to be Tim Howard who saved the day for the Americans on more than a couple of occasions. Michael Bradley also looked solid in the defensive midfield. This is important because Bradely's performance in the last few games wearing the national jersey have been sub par.

Up next to for the American will be Panama in the second game of the first round on Saturday.

The United States will open its 2011 Gold Cup today against our neighbors to the north. The Americans will play Canada today at 6:00 pm local time (televised on Telefutura). This game will begin the tournament that the Americans have to win, anything will be a complete failure. The prize if they win the tournament, a bid into the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil in which the U.S. was runner-up to Brazil in 2009.

The U.S. is coming off an embarrassing display against Spain on Saturday in Foxboro in a preparation match that they lost 4-0. While Canada is no Spain, they have been preparing diligently for the competition. They tied Ecuador 2-2 in their final prep match prior to tonight's game, a formidable opponent.

While in the first 3 games of the Gold Cup there was a total of 14 gols scored, I don't expect for that to be the case tonight. I think that this will be the closest, most competitive game of the Cup thus far. It is a game that is going to be hard fought in the midfield were ball possession is going to be key.

I look for the U.S. to win. More importantly, the U.S. defensive 4 have to look solid for 90 minutes. If this happens I feel that the entire team's confidence will grow en route to the two remaining games of the first round of the competition against Panama and Guadaloupe.

On Sunday evening Mexico won its opening game in the 2011 Gold Cup over El Salvador by a score 5-0. Mexico opened the flood gates in the second half after failing to put the ball into the back of the net in the first half of the game to give "El Tri" its first 3 points of the competition.

I do not know if it was opening day jitters, the artificial pitch, or something else but Mexico was imprecise on their touch, and just looked like if they were not ready for the rival that they had in El Salvador during the first half of the game.

The victory ties Mexico with Costa Rica for first place in their group. Both teams have the same gol differential (+5) which can be a determining factor to see what team advances into the second round of the Gold Cup in first place. Costa Rica beat Cuba by the same score of 5-0.

Javier "El Chicharito" Hernandez gave the sold out crowd in Cowboys Stadium their money's worth as he scored 3 of the 5 gols.

The U.S. Men's National Team was embarrassed by World Cup defending champions Spain in Foxboro, Massachusetts by a score of 4-0 yesterday in the afternoon. In the lone preparation match for the upcoming Gold Cup that will begin for the U.S. on Tuesday against Canada, the U.S. looked lost on the pitch for 90 minutes.

The Red, White and Blue demonstrated no offensive capacity which has been of concern as of late as they have been struggling to get the ball in the back of the net.

Spain scored 3 gols in less than 15 minutes in the first half of the game and one in the second.

One has to acknowledge that the U.S. did not start all of its starter, but then again neither did Spain. If there is one positive spin to this is that Canada is no Spain when it comes to soccer. Hopefully on Tuesday the Americans will realize this as well and have an easy time en route to what will hopefully be their first victory of the Gold Cup.